Dance With Me
by MissMuffin42
Summary: Oneshot. She was already running towards me, a blur of pink that stood out against the shades of black and cream around us. The airport scene from the end of Episode 7 from Stefan's POV.


"What are you doing?!"

I turned around, slowly. I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen her. She was already running towards me, a blur of pink that stood out against the shades of black and cream around us.

I had to face her.

Slowly, I took my bags from the conveyer belt and walked over to her. I shouldn't be doing this; I shouldn't have let myself see her face. I had to admit she looked beautiful, though in a different way as she always did. Her make-up had sort of melted off a little and her hair was falling loosely around her shoulders in a wild curtain of curls. Her face and her stunning eyes showed nothing but hurt.

"Lola…"

I stopped before I let myself walk any closer. I knew how dangerous it was for me to even let myself be in the same room as her at this point. I squeezed my own hand hard, forcing myself to stay put. This was going to be hard enough as it was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Oh you remembered my name, I guess that's something," she snapped back.

"Lola, please. _Listen_," I begged.

She shook her head slowly. "_How_ could you do this to me?"

I fumbled in my head for some kind of explanation. "I can't turn your life upside down, make you leave school…"

Yesterday, when she'd told me she was leaving, I'd known from the start I couldn't let her go. _How _could I live with myself for letting a girl like Lola give up the career I knew she had ahead of her for someone like me?

"But… it's _my _choice."

I shrugged. "And this is mine."

She didn't say anything, she just looked at me, really looked at me, with her perfect eyes, clouded with trouble.

"I'm sorry."

I almost blushed at how pathetic I was, knowing that _sorry _could do nothing for this situation. _Sorry _had no meaning, _sorry _was just the tiniest thing I could do to even try to make up for what I was about to do to her. What did _sorry_ even mean?

So I was just going to have to tell her the truth.

"I was up all night… thinking about you, about us. And I knew if I saw you and I talked to you you'd just try to talk me out of it."

"So, you were just going to leave without telling me?"

"I thought it would be easier if you hated me. You'd get over it quicker."

I'd spent the entire night making a decision. For a while, I'd actually been going to let her leave. I almost felt guilty about it now. Lola was impossibly talented. I couldn't let her throw away what she had ahead of her, for someone she'd sort of only just met.

But if I did… I imagined the future we could have ahead of us. She could find another dance school and I'd stay working at Britannia High, we could find a flat to rent, somewhere nicer where I was living now. Then, when she'd graduated, we could go travelling for a year and then maybe go stay in Sydney for a while…

No. I mentally poked myself. This, _us, _was never going to happen.

_Us._

"Stay. Please. Go back to the check out and… tell them you changed your mind," she said, eagerly.

I smiled, placing a hand on her cheek. _This _was Lola, this girl was the reason I'd wanted all those things. This was the girl who's life I'd been tempted to ruin for a little of my own selfishness.

She was amazing.

Her tears were lukewarm against my skin.

"The check in?" I said, letting a smile spread across my face.

I let my hands drop.

Fresh tears sprung to her eyes. She needed me, didn't she?

I gave up and came forward, enfolding her in my arms. She leaned against me, gratefully. Her hair tickled my cheek.

"I've got to go," I told her.

She said nothing, she didn't try to stop me this time. Her tears were warm against my cheek.

"I love you."

I breathed in. She did, she actually did. I'd sort of thought up until now that I was just a crush to her, sort of just a phase, which had made it easier to leave. But I couldn't look into her eyes and not believe that she did. She loved me.

I couldn't tell her, could I? I couldn't tell her that I loved her too, that would make me an awful person. _Who _could tell a girl like Lola they loved her and then leave?

"I know," I whispered.

It was all I had.

She started to move gradually in my arms. I understood, I followed then released her and took both her hands.

We were dancing, slowly around the huge space that was the airport. Her body felt so delicate that I felt any moment she'd break.

There was no movement or choreography or pattern, for once it didn't matter. Somehow we both knew exactly what to do.

I was going to miss her so, so, so much. I'd never really had a person in my life that was a very big part of it, since I'd moved to England ten years ago my career was my life, that was it. And I'd known Lola a year, though only really _known _her for seven days, yet I knew I was in love with her.

They were watching us, everyone around us was watching, they always watched us. But it didn't matter, all those faces just seemed to mould into one, the face of the world that had torn us apart. They didn't understand.

Somewhere there's a place for you and I, but it isn't _here_. We belong together. And maybe one day I'll see you again, and we'll be able to be together, and I won't let them tear us up. I wish I could stay with you. I wish a lot of things.

We weren't even dancing now, just moving ever so slightly to the melody that played so loudly and we couldn't even hear.

I had to go.

I let your hand drop in mine, and started to walk slowly towards the Departure Gates. I closed my eyes tightly, knowing if I saw your face again just for a second I'd break. I started towards the long corridor ahead of me, breaking into a run.

I didn't look back.

_Are they calling for_

_Our last dance?_

_I see it,_

_In your eyes,_

_And when silence calls,_

_Our last goodbye,_

_The words I need,_

_Are in your eyes,_

_So I'll sing,_

_Shine on,_

_Just shine on,_

_Close your eyes and they'll all be gone_

_They can scream and shout,_

_That they've been sold out,_

_But it paid for the cloud that we're dancing on,_

_So shine on,_

_Just shine on,_

_With your smile just as bright as the sun,_

'_Cause they're all just slaves,_

_To the gods they've made,_

_But you and I,_

_Just shone,_

_Just shone_


End file.
